Volume control of Sync voice?

[RDave]

Is there a way to control the volume level of the Sync voice prompter? It comes on about twice as loud as the radio, cd or Ipod. My car is a 2009 Taurus SEL, and I haven't done any software updates as yet.

 

thanks,

 

RDave

[Milan Premier]

Is there a way to control the volume level of the Sync voice prompter? It comes on about twice as loud as the radio, cd or Ipod. My car is a 2009 Taurus SEL, and I haven't done any software updates as yet.

I believe there are 3 ways to do this, and they are all listed in the manual.

[RDave]

I believe there are 3 ways to do this, and they are all listed in the manual.

 

I could not find any of these instructions in the manual. Could you tell me the page numbers?

 

thanks,

 

RDave

[Milan Premier]

Not the car manual, it's in the Sync manual and/or Sync Nav manual (which talks about it in more detail). You can download one here if you don't have one. Basically this is what is says:

 

There are three different ways you can adjust the voice volume:

 

• When the system is speaking, turn the volume knob to decrease or increase the volume.

 

OR

 

1. Press the MENU hard button on the navigation system.

2. Select the ‘Feedback Settings’ tab.

3. Press + to increase or — to decrease the voice volume levels.

 

OR

 

1. Press VOICE on the steering wheel. A tone will sound followed by the prompt, “Please say a command.” Another tone will sound signaling the system is ready to accept your command.

2. Say “Voice volume decrease” or “Voice volume increase”.

[pcsgrp35se]

What if you don't have navagation, can you still adjust it

[Muzicman61]

1. Press VOICE on the steering wheel. A tone will sound followed by the prompt, “Please say a command.” Another tone will sound signaling the system is ready to accept your command.

2. Say “Voice volume decrease” or “Voice volume increase”.

 

Sure could not get these commands to work on my 09 Focus with Sync 1.3

[Milan Premier]

Sure could not get these commands to work on my 09 Focus with Sync 1.3

Those instructions are from the 2010 manual. The 2009 manual may be different.

[Muzicman61]

Those instructions are from the 2010 manual. The 2009 manual may be different.

 

Sorry, meant to say 08 Focus. However I would think Sync 1.3 would be the same regardless.

[Milan Premier]

You can also turn the prompts off all together:

 

Non-navigation radios

Hands-free: To turn off voice prompts, push the VOICE button on your steering wheel. You’ll hear a tone. SYNC will say, "Please say a command." Say, "System prompts off."

 

On your radio: Press the PHONE button until PHONE MENU appears, SYNC will immediately change to PHONE REDIAL.

 

Press the ARROWS until SYS SETTINGS displays.

 

Press OK. BT DEVICES will display.

 

Press the ARROWS until ADVANCED appears. Press OK.

 

PROMPTS displays. Press OK.

 

Press the ARROWS until PROMPTS OFF appears.

 

Press OK.

 

SET OFF will display.

 

Press the ARROWS to return, or use the other radio buttons to select other devices, the radio or CD player.

[Sporty]

RDave, I believe that happens when you have to turn up the volume to hear your last phone call. The volume remains where you leave it before you hang up.

Edited September 17, 2009 by Sporty

[MMMike]

Hi All ! First post ! WooHoo !

 

OK , voice volume adjustment.............

 

There are three different ways you can adjust the voice volume:

 

• When the system is speaking, turn the volume knob to decrease or increase the volume.

 

OR

 

1. Press the MENU hard button on the navigation system.

2. Select the ‘Feedback Settings’ tab.

3. Press + to increase or — to decrease the voice volume levels.

 

OR

 

1. Press VOICE on the steering wheel. A tone will sound followed by the prompt, “Please say a command.” Another tone will sound signaling the system is ready to accept your command.

2. Say “Voice volume decrease” or “Voice volume increase”.

 

First one works, but only temporarily, defaults to a LOUD voice.

 

Next one....not available (2010 EdgeLTD, no nav)

 

Next one, she doesn't understand.

 

I don't want to get rid of the voice, just lower it a bunch.

 

Help, Thanks.

[Muzicman61]

Ford and Microsoft are aware of the issue and working on a fix. There is no ETA of when it will be available as the radio and Sync are two seperate components and the fix is not as easy as you might think.

[MMMike]

Ford and Microsoft are aware of the issue and working on a fix. There is no ETA of when it will be available as the radio and Sync are two seperate components and the fix is not as easy as you might think.

 

 

Bummer

[Sporty]

I just turn my phone's volume all the way up. That allows me to turn the radio volume down when using Sync and it remembers that setting for the phone. The Sync voice for phone functions and commands is lowered too.

[whosaidwhat?]

Hello,

 

I'm having this problem also. I have an '09 Focus and the voice is FAR too loud.

The only solution that works for me is to lower the volume manually EVERY time the voice comes on. This is beyond tedious....

 

I'm new to this forum, so I haven't seen all the threads regarding this issue(if there are more...), but I'm wondering if a fix has arrived yet(May 2010).

 

Thanks all!

[Muzicman61]

No fix yet. The problem turned out to be more difficult than the Ford engineers thought. But they are still working on the solution.

[vaillancourt88]

Just got our new Edge on the 25th, took it on a 3-hr drive to the family reunion...

 

I had the same problem with the voice being TOO LOUD!! Every time I adjusted the volume down with the volume buttons while computer is speaking (option 1) and got the same issue--only temporary...

 

BUT,

 

Check your "SPEEDVOL" setting...My dealer set mine to '7' (maximum) when he was doing the radio demo. On a hunch, I set mine to 'OFF' (I never liked it anyway), and the computer voice stayed where I put it! Didn't test it back at '7' when at a stop (which, theoretically, should lower volume since car is stopped...also curious that SPEEDVOL doesn't seem to affect in-call volume...perhaps in-call vol is controlled by the phone, or just that it's used less frequently, so it's less noticeable?)

 

Hope this helps!

 

I'm not a Ford engineer, but I can see the Rouge plant from my house :D

[joesync]

I have a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid with Sync. After trying lots of things to get the RINGBACK signal and SYNC VOICE to live at tolerable levels, I gave up. I could use the volume control to adjust the volume of these signals while they were talking and all was well. But any such adjustment has been just temporary and the volume returned to painful levels on the next call. Couple this with the extremely poor voice recognition of the SYNC system for making hands free calls and I have just abandoned SYNC as far as hands free phoning is concerned.

 

Too bad such as great idea has such a poor implementation.. And, though I have had the car for a year now, none of the updates have addressed the above issues. But.. Oh.. It is a MicroSoft product isn't it?

[Muzicman61]

Sync has one of the best voice recognition engines around. That being said, the microphone in the vehicle is poorly positioned on top of the rear view mirror, and suseptable to wind and windshield noise, making the recognition less than perfect. I'd suggest talking to your dealer about the TSP that places the Sync microphone in the headliner.

 

And this is NOT a Microsoft problem. The volume issue is being worked on but is more difficult a problem than most realize. The issue being that there are two independent systems at work. The Sync system and the head unit. Sony or Pioneer depending on your make and model.

[vaillancourt88]

But any such adjustment has been just temporary and the volume returned to painful levels on the next call.

 

Did you check the 'SPEEDVOL' setting, mentioned here ? It worked for me in turn-by-turn directions; not sure about phone calls, as different people I call have different voice levels (even in non-SYNC calls) e.g., my wife speaks softly on the phone, but my father speaks louder...

 

No opinion on MS, but I'm sure someone already has an-open source project in the works...keep an eye on the tuner community, you'll see it there first.

[c17chief]

I dont buy a fix being more difficult than anyone thinks. 2 independant systems means it should be EASY to come up with at least an acceptable fix. I agree it may be very difficult to manage the differences in voic prompt/ringer, usb, and bluetooth volumes independantly....but for the voice/ringers which are way to loud...you would think those are some sort of existing sound files vs on the fly text to speech, so an easy way is to just record and update those files at a lower volume....and if nothing else, maybe stick something in the wiring between sync and affected radios to decrease the output level (volume) across the board. Sure the quick and dirty wouldnt be perfect, causing you now to turn up the volume every time for USB and calls, but I would rather crank up those for being to quiet then getting blasted by random incoming calls and sync voice by default ANY DAY.

Edited August 15, 2010 by c17chief

[vaillancourt88]

I dont buy a fix being more difficult than anyone thinks. 2 independant systems means it should be EASY to come up with at least an acceptable fix. I agree it may be very difficult to manage the differences in voic prompt/ringer, usb, and bluetooth volumes independantly....but for the voice/ringers which are way to loud...you would think those are some sort of existing sound files vs on the fly text to speech, so an easy way is to just record and update those files at a lower volume....and if nothing else, maybe stick something in the wiring between sync and affected radios to decrease the output level (volume) across the board. Sure the quick and dirty wouldnt be perfect, causing you now to turn up the volume every time for USB and calls, but I would rather crank up those for being to quiet then getting blasted by random incoming calls and sync voice by default ANY DAY.

 

 

Has anyone else tried adjusting the SPEEDVOL setting? I hate to sound like a broken record here, but I swear it fixed my issues. I haven't seen any comment yea or nay that it worked for others. Set SPEEDVOL to OFF. Once you get each component (prompt, radio, phone) at the volume you like, they should stay put.

[canadianwolf]

It seems there is a default minimum volume but not a default maximum.

 

If you press the sync button where she says "say a command", and you turn the volume completely off, then say 'cancel' - then press the sync button again, the volume comes up 1/4 to where its hear able - the default minimum volume.

 

If they can put in a default minimum, they can put in a default maximum, maybe set it so every time the sync button is pressed, the volume is between the minimum and the maximum. There is NO MAXIMUM - you can turn it until its at max, and it will stay there next time. But not minimum. FIX THE MAX DEFAULT!